Columnist Spotlight Archives

Most business owners grossly over estimate the value of their company. This is just one of many reasons companies for sale fail to secure a suitable buyer. Another reason is poor planning. Currently, 80 percent of the owners trying to sell their small to medium sized companies will run into difficulty. Business owners often consider… Read More →

Love is in the air, and sometimes those amorous feelings lead to claims of sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. As Valentine’s Day approaches, employers should be mindful about office romances in light of some interesting statistics: • More than 20 percent of married couples met at work, yet nearly half of those employees… Read More →

Unfortunately, fraud is something all businesses must think about and guard themselves from. According to Statistic Brain, seven percent of annual revenues are lost to employee theft or fraud and 33 percent of business’ bankruptcies are caused by employee theft. Fraud isn’t only a result of employee theft; it can also include misuse of accounts,… Read More →

Just last month, I took a ten-day business trip to Australia. I was eager to see the sights and spend time doing business in a beautiful landscape, but I also wanted to be smart about my money while abroad. To make sure that I wouldn’t overpay for my business and personal expenses on this trip,… Read More →

As security breaches and scams become more and more prevalent with the advancement of technology, it is more important for companies to protect against fraud. Extending credit to customers can be a risky venture for a number of reasons, but being smart and taking precautions can help prevent problems down the road. For most companies… Read More →

While all of us have no doubt been busy getting enlightened by the endless stream of political TV ads, there have been lots of exciting things happening to grow Arizona’s cross-border trade profile with our neighbor Mexico. Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match Dennis Smith and the team at the Maricopa Association of Governments deserve… Read More →

Streamlining accounting departments can be a daunting task and more often than not the simplest approach is overlooked. However, keeping it simple is generally the best course of action to take when trimming the fat. In many accounting departments the day-in-day-out tasks were created a zillion years ago and have become a part of the… Read More →

We hear stories of employees embezzling money from unsuspecting employers, but we never expect it to actually happen. Nathan J. Mueller, an employee in the reinsurance division of financial services giant ING, carried out a scheme, embezzling nearly $8.5 million over a period of four years. Mueller’s story serves as a lesson to employers, alerting… Read More →

Although the economy is improving, collections remains a daunting task for many companies. Recognizing the challenges and establishing necessary procedures can help to turn the situation around. All business owners want to reduce the number of late paying clients and to build stronger customer relationships. The question is, “How?” Despite all the high-tech solutions available… Read More →

Back to school specials are about to take over our shopping experiences once again, but for many high school students, this is also the time to start shopping for college. It takes more than clipping out a coupon to make sure you get a good deal. To many, it can seem so intimidating that many… Read More →

Maximizing profits and growth while also maintaining adequate cash flow is one of the most difficult challenges a young business faces, but it’s also one of the most important. The old adage that “cash is king” has never been truer given today’s challenges for securing a funds or attracting investors. To utilize capital to spur… Read More →

Unfortunately, it is common for customers to pay less than they owe, taking deductions off their bills or underpaying their invoices. For small businesses, this can create a significant loss in revenue and problems with cash flow. Some businesses have reported losing as much as 10 percent of their gross sales to deductions. Fortunately, companies… Read More →

With April 15th right around the corner, some of us are anxiously anticipating a tax refund check. As a matter of fact, according to CNN Money, the average tax refund is about $3,000. If you’re lucky enough to be part of this group, what do you do next? I would like to give you some… Read More →

Arizona is doing all it can to develop a more competitive tax environment in order to attract jobs, but we’re getting no help from the feds. The state over the last few years has scratched and clawed its way on the road to economic recovery. Staring down 300,000 lost jobs since the beginning of the… Read More →